DAIRY INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 227, 23 August 1935, Page 10

DAIRY INDUSTRY

K AIR AN G A COMPANY. The annual meeting of the Kairanga Dairy Company was conducted yesterday, Mr J. Devine presiding. In addition to the directors retiring by rotation, who sought re-election, there were also Messrs C. H. Palmer and J. J. McEwen as aspirants for seats on the directorate. Those elected were Messrs Kyle, Burmeister, Judd, Zurclier, and McEwen. , , ~ A vote of thanks was accorded Mr Buchanan for his past services. Mr W. Hunter was re-appouited auditor. . Mr W. It. Hopcroft gave notice of motion for the next annual meeting:That the articles of association of the company be altered to provide that no proxy votes be allowed dry shareholders. . _. At a subsequent meeting of directors, Mr Devine was re-appointed chairman. whakarongcFmeeting. HIGH QUALITY OF BUTTER. The annual meeting of the Whakarongo Dairy Company was held last evening, Mr J. F. Romley presiding. A motion of condolence was passed with the relatives of residents of the district who had passed away during the year, Mr J. Pye, Mrs D. Lynch, Mr D. H. Speedy and Mrs L. A. Newcombe. . . Reviewing the year s operations, the chairman said the directors had pursued the usual, conservative policy. Apart from the local trade, the whole of the season’s make of butter had been shipped on consignment and reports from the London grader lndicated that Whakarongo butter opened up 100 per cent, finest. The average milk test for the season over the whole 60 suppliers was 4.4 b, which, he believed, was the highest in the Manawatu district for that number of suppliers. Oil and ammonia costs appeared at a high figure, but the old condenser coils had been scrapped and the latest type substituted and any loss in that direction had been stopped. Fuel costs were also high, and although a considerable sum had been spent in having the furnace relined the result was very disappointing. However, old fire bars had been replaced and it was believed this would effect a saving in fuel. 'The freezing chamber had been subdivided which, with an overhaul of the freezer, would reduce the fuel account in the future. A new soaknge pit had been constructed and it would render good service for many years. The old churn had been replaced by a larger one. The above items, except for the cost of dividing the freezing chamber and overhaul of the fieezei, accounted for most of the sum charged to repairs and maintenance. The usual depreciation of 5 per cent, had been ■written off buildings and plant. V\ nil© the demand for casein was not so bright as 12 months ago, the casein company had disposed of 400 tons of the coming year’s make and advances to companies for the first two months of the season would be the same as for the opening months last year. As the world’s output of casein was 60,000 tons and New Zealand’s production at its highest year was approximately 5 per cent, of that total, %n extra 1 per cent, would not make tny appreciable difference to the market. The directors had gone into the matter of withdrawing from the pricefivation committee and had seen no tdvantage in breaking away. there had also been a suggestion that the company’s year should be closed a month earlier, but this had also been dismissed for three reasons. The first was because too much produce would have to be taken into account. Secondly, the casein company’s activities bad to be considered. If the year elosed a month'earlier, the bonus from that concern would not be known. The third reason was the fact that the earlier closing of the year would come before the end of the Butter Federation’s year and that was not thought desirable by the directors. Mr Eomley thanked his co-directors for co-operation given during the season. _ . . The secretary (Mr E. B. Jennings) pointed out that the average advance was lower than that paid by some other companies but it had to be remembered that the average test at ■Whakarongo was considerably higher. Had the test been lower, the advance would have been higher though, of course, suppliers would have received exactly the same amount of money. Messrs Romley and J. A. Spall were returned to the board of directors unopposed. Mr A. T. Bendall was re-elected auditor. About half an hour was devoted to the consideration of the honoraria of the chairman and other members of tlie board of directors. It was eventually agreed that they should be voted the same sum as last year, it being left to them to reduce voluntarily that amount if they thought fit. At a subsequent meeting of directors Mr Romley was re-appointed chairman.

MANGATAINOKA COMPANY. ANNUAL MEETING. Tlie annual meeting of the Mangatainoka Dairy Company was held on Wednesday, Mr A. E. Olhver presidI'he report, which w r as adopted, stated inter alia: “Owing to an unusually dry summer the output is less by 60 tons than that of the previous season ■ but for the favourable autumn the’drop would have been considerably greater. Prices, on the whole, have been disappearing, averaging about Is per cwt less than iast season which in its tufn was lower than the previous season. Advance payments for butterfat .were at the rate of 9d per lb except for the months of February, March and April, when, it was 8d When all cheese is sold, and providing present prices are maintained, it is estimated the total payment for butterfat will be a little better than 9id per lb. During weather like that experienced this summer, the curingroom proves quite unsuitable for Moling cheese, the temperature in the room bften being as high as 84 degrees. Mainly as a result of this a fair quantity of cheese was classed second grade; after due considerate the board decided to have plans and specifications of a modern cheese curing-room prepared and tenders tor its erection invited. This having been done, a meeting of suppliers was called to consider the matter, and, with slight modifications, approved or the plans and decided to go on with the building. A start was made by the contractor towards the end of JulyThe building should be ready for storing cheese by early summer. Statistics are as follow Milk separated, 167 2541 b; butterfat in milk separated’, 7,3801 b; milk used for cheese 7,486,0111 b; butterfat m milk toi cheese, 297,8971 b; average test (all milk) 4.08 per cent.; cheese to lib butterfat, 2.591 b; milk to lib cheese 9.621 b; cheese manufactured lb; cost per lb butterfat to f.0.b., 3d. In moving the report, the chairman

said that the yield had been rather better than for most factories in the district; in fact, it was about the best of any. After the meeting suppliers would be receiving a bonus of id per lb over the whole season, making a total payment of 9id. He hoped, after the rest of the cheese was sold, that the company would make the final payout up to about 9id. Mr A' Howell seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. In answer to a question, the secretary (Mr V. Redmond) said there were still 1000 crates of last season’s cheese unsold. Owing to a gap between shipments the company had not, as yet, had. the benefit of the recent rise in prices. The retiring directors, Messrs 11. A. Wililams and M. Reichenbaeh, were re-elected unopposed Dir G. Godfrey Taylor was re-appointed audiA motion of condolence was passed to the relatives of the late Mr Martin Olsen. It was mentioned that Mr Olsen was one of the first to agitate for a factory to he started and was one of the four original suppliers left, at the time of his death, the others being Messrs W. Brown, Staples and Kerrison Brothers.